Initially commanded by Air Marshal Conningham, it comprised of
16 Squadrons (9 fighter, 6 medium bomber and 1 tactical
reconnaissance) and its role was to support the Western Desert
ground forces. It was created after the failed attempt to relieve
Torbruk, Operation Battleaxe, where it was calculated that there
was not enough co-operation between the Army and Air force. The
WDAF was completely outclassed by the German BF109E and BF109F
fighters, but their numbers were insufficient to tip the
balance in their favour.1 Losses were extremely
high at first due to the German
technological superiority in the air and in one particular
case, a Squadron commander lost 120% of his pilot strength within
a six month period. This highlights the difficulties the Allies
faced in the early periods of the North African Campaign, where
Rommel and his Afrika Corps entry meant the Allies weapons were
totally outclassed on the ground and in the air.

In the build up to the Alam Halfa, around the time when Allied
production was increasing rapidly, the WDAF began to receive
Spitfire Mk5's and the American P-40 variants, the Warhawk,
Kittyhawk and Tomahawk and by the battle of El
Alamein the WDAF comprised of 29 Squadrons, which included
later variants of the Hurricane and Spitfire planes that could
undertake bombing duties and were equipped with cannons as well as
the normal machine guns, as well as the American built Boston,
Mitchell and Baltimore bombers. This increase in technological
advancement for the WDAF meant that it now had the ability to
enforce its numerical superiority upon the German Airforce (GAF).
After the Torch landings the WDAF was extremely effective in
harassing the German and Italian armour and contributed greatly
towards the Allied victory in North Africa.

1. Adrian Gilbert, The Imperial War Museum Of The Desert War
(BCA 1992) page 142.

The hurricane was the Allies most useful aircraft in the
Desert war as it was particularly durable; an attribute that was
very important in the harsh conditions of the Desert. It served
several roles in North Africa, such as photo reconnaissance,
patrolling as well as fighting and bombing. The Hurricane was
developed into a lethal Tank Busting aircraft which was first
exploited to the full at Alam Halfa where
Rommel`s retreating Afrika Corps were
bombed day and night by the Allies. The Hurricane has received
little applause for its service during World War II as the
Spitfire stole most of the limelight and has become a legend in
its own right.

The Spitfire was the principal Allied fighter that could cope
with the Lufwaffes BF109 fighters in the early and mid phases of
the Second World War. The arrival of the Spitfire in the
Mediterranean and North Africa severely eroded the BF109's
superiority in those theatres and forced Germany to produce new
variants of the Messershmitt. It was the Spitfire that received
the glory during and after the Second World War and it was the
plane that the German pilots most feared until the arrival of the
American P51 Mustang and the Typhoon. It was the arrival of
Spitfires in Malta that kept the Islands hopes alive and allowed
it to withstand one of the most violent sieges ever witnessed.
The Spitfire, like its enemy the BF 109 had many variants and
this proved the planes relatively simple yet very effective
design that was able to be modified continually have a lasting
effect upon the Second World War. In the Desert War the Spitfire
was used for many roles, much like the Hurricane including Photo
reconnaissance, fighter,fighter-bomber and tank destroying
sorties. Most feared as a fighter the Spitfire had a lengthy career which continued well
after the end of the war. The ability
to turn tighter than the BF109 was crucial in ensuring the
Spitfires success in the Mediterranean and North Africa.

The Junkers Ju-87 Dive Bomber had a fate much
the same as the BF109 as it became legendary in the first year of
the Second World War, only to steadily decline in relative
performance as the war continued. The Stuka as it became known
was responsible for sinking more ships sunk than any other
aircraft in history, whilst having an incredible tally of tank
kills as well. The Stuka was a Psychological weapon too, with its
screaming sirens (nicknamed the 'Trumpets of Jericho') attached
to its landing gear spats that terrorised its targets before
hitting them with up to 3,968 lb of high explosives. In the first
year of the war the Stuka became synonymous with Blitzkrieg and
was seen as the flying artillery of the Second World War. The
Stuka comprised such an important element of the Blitzkrieg
tactic, with the enemy being constantly harassed from the air
whilst having to deal with the onslaught of elite Panzer
divisions on the ground, not to mention the bombardment from
conventional artillery.

The Stuka served as an important weapon for the
Axis powers and ensured its remarkably quick victories in Poland,
France, Norway, Denmark and Holland. When more capable fighters
were fielded by the Allies, the Stuka was not up to the job of
defending itself adequately. As the war went on the role of the
Stuka became smaller and smaller as well as more difficult and the
FW190 took over its role. There is no doubting however that the
role that the Stuka played in the opening rounds of the war in
the various invasions and the early phases of the Battle Of
Britain had a profound and indeed decisive effect upon the Second
World War.

For more information on these aircraft, see The Hangar for more
information.